New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr speaks during a news conference after their loss against the Carolina Panthers in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Rusty Jones
[Derek Carr](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/b86b6649-f13d-4c70-bc51-71a13e7305c6/) is officially retired.
The New Orleans Saints placed Carr on the NFL's reserve/retired list Tuesday, finalizing his retirement after the quarterback announced last month he was stepping away from the sport because of a shoulder injury. New Orleans waited to put the 34-year-old on the list until June in part because of the salary cap ramifications that came with the move.
Carr's retirement, according to Spotrac, leaves dead cap hits of nearly $14.5 million in 2025 and $35.7 million in 2026. But as part of hanging it up, Carr agreed to payback his $30 million salary for next season — which helps the Saints in the long run. Prior to his retirement, Carr's cap hits were $20.4 million in 2025 and $69.2 million in 2026.
Before his retirement, New Orleans had restructured Carr's contract in the offseason to save more than $30 million in cap space. The move effectively locked Carr's spot on the roster, which is why his decision to retire was widely seen as surprising around the league.
In the aftermath of Carr's decision, the Saints have begun an open quarterback competition with rookie Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener vying for the starting job.
Carr, for his part, has kept a low profile. He has uploaded Instagram stories of him golfing and also participated in videos with his brother David on their YouTube channel.
Carr was one of two players on the Saints to retire this offseason, joining tackle Ryan Ramcyzk. New Orleans, however, has yet to place Ramczyk on the reserve/retired list.